Infections and infectious diseases can be caused by a variety of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and the like. Unfortunately, a variety of surfaces, such as ventilation ducts, household, hospital, office furniture, fabrics, toys, and other surfaces, as well as contaminated water supplies, onto or into which the pathogens are transmitted, can serve as reservoirs and breeding grounds for such pathogens.
Various materials have been developed to mitigate the spread of such pathogens. For example, immobilized hydrophobic polymerized quaternary ammonium compounds (polyQACs), based on polyethylenimine (PEI), which exert antimicrobial action by disrupting cell walls and/or outer membranes of bacteria and fungi have been developed. In addition, polyQACs, such as N,N-dodecyl, methyl-PEI have recently been reported to inactivate envelope viruses, including both human and avian strains of influenza viruses, and to disinfect solutions containing non-enveloped polio virus and rotavirus.
While such polyQAC materials may work for some applications, the polyQAC materials may exhibit relatively poor impact strength, abrasion resistance, and may lack desired versatility (e.g., ability to alter material properties during the polymerization process and ability to alter material morphology). Accordingly, improved antimicrobial compounds that are relatively easy to form and that exhibit improved impact strength, abrasion resistance, and versatility are desired.